


Snowfall

by WhoLetTheCatOutOfTheBag



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 16:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13252185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoLetTheCatOutOfTheBag/pseuds/WhoLetTheCatOutOfTheBag
Summary: “Thought you could use a hand,” Robin said, and grinned.It was at that moment that specks of snow began falling from the sky.Or: How Tim Drake first met Gotham's vigilantes.





	Snowfall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noseybookworm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noseybookworm/gifts).



> Thank to Elaienar for beta'ing!

That night was like any other night in Gotham: insults thrown from one individual to another, shouts as someone realized his wallet was stolen, a plea for mercy at the hands of a bloodthirsty criminal, shadows in the dim lamplight as Batman and Robin leaped from building to building. And Tim Drake was waiting on a rooftop to snap a picture of them.

Tim’s parents were out of town again, and Mrs. Mac had already fulfilled her duty and left. The older Drakes hadn’t promised their son to come back before Christmas, but still he had waited several cold and dark hours in the empty house, before outfitting himself to navigate the icy streets and snow covered rooftops. Last of all he’d taken his camera from its usual place in his drawer, settling the worn strap around his neck.

He had worked his way around the crowd of late shoppers and workers as he traced the path to a roof where he might glimpse Batman and Robin on their nightly jaunt, and snap a few blurred pictures of them before they vanish into the darkness.

It had been a couple hours since he got there, and he hadn’t seen them yet. Tim shifted quietly and listened for the rustling of capes, or the shuffling of feet.

He heard nothing other than the typical things: people laughing down in the streets, others griping, sirens blaring not too far away, but nothing that could possibly be Batman and Robin. They were late, or were off somewhere else.

Tim sighed and looked into the alley below him, the last place you would expect to see two superheroes whose usual roost was the roofs. Of course they weren’t there. Instead, in the dim light of the street lamps two stories down, he saw two men, one tall and bulky and the other short. Both were carrying guns at their sides, off to rob a shop nearby or something.

The short one lagged behind. He stopped directly below the place where Tim was leaning over the edge of the roof, camera dangling.

“I'm not so sure about this. For all we know, Batman could be on his way right now.”

The tall one stopped and turned back.“We’ve been through this,” he said. “We’ll be in and out before you know it. No witnesses--no complications. Besides, I promised my little girl a doll, and we’re being paid good money for this job.”

That didn’t sound good. Tim stepped back from the edge. The camera strap rubbed against the rough stone as he pulled away. The fabric ripped, and the strap slid off his neck. Tim’s eyes widened, and he lunged forward to catch it, but his hands closed on empty air. He was left hanging over the edge of the roof helplessly as his camera fell.

_Oh. Oh no._

The camera landed on the short thug’s head with a resounding crack.

The man howled, his hands clutching his hair. He swiveled around two or three times, which Tim might have laughed at had he not realized that the man was looking for him. Then he screeched, “Who did that?” at the top of his lungs.

The tall man bent down and plucked the broken camera out of the snow where it had fallen, then looked up.

Tim’s eyes met his. The tall man opened his mouth and shouted “There!”

Tim bolted down the fire escape and into the street. When he hit the ground he saw them rounding the corner, and he took off running.

The streets that were full when he had first come were empty. There was no crowd to hide in.

“Hey! Hey you, kid! Wait!”

Somehow Tim didn’t feel inclined to wait. His instincts proved correct when a gun went off behind him and a bullet whizzed by close enough for him to feel it passing in the air.

There was another gunshot. He dodged around a corner into an alley and saw a dead end.

Crap. Now I'm definitely screwed.

He looked around hastily and ran toward the nearest hiding place: a dumpster. Typical.

He threw himself into the smelly dumpster, shut the lid, and breathed as quietly as he could manage. His lungs burned for air, and his stomach threatened to throw up its contents due to the stench.

Over the loud pounding of his heart and blood rushing in his ears, he heard quick footsteps approach, followed by panting, and a curse.

Tim sucked in a deep breath and placed his hands over his mouth, both to quiet his breathing, and keep the stench away.

“Where’d he go?” one said between heavy breaths.

“No idea,” said the other, just as heavily.

Tim waited for a moment, and then another, listening for any sign of the men through the pounding in his head. He let out his breath quietly and inhaled the most pleasant smell of days old garbage. He coughed. It wasn't a very loud cough.

Unfortunately it was loud enough for the two men outside to hear it. The lid lifted off dumpster, hinges squeaking, and hands grabbed Tim by the shoulders, pulling him out of it.

Tim kicked and screamed, flailing his weak arms, desperately trying to escape the firm hold.

“Shut up,” the tall man said, and when Tim didn't, he covered his mouth and nose with his hand, stifling his screams.

Tim stopped screaming, and tried to suck in a breath, but found he couldn’t. Panic filled him, and he clawed at the hand. The man ignored it.

“That's better,” the short one said. “Boss said no witnesses.”

“He’s just a kid,” said the man holding Tim.

“No witnesses,” he repeated, and began to raise his gun.

Tim opened his mouth and bit down hard on the hand over his mouth.

The man holding him yelped and dropped him. Tim hit the ground running, and dodged around the shorter man.

He’d only gone a few steps when he slipped on ice and fell face first into muddy slush. He tried to get up and slipped again, falling onto his side.

The short man pointed his gun.

The thing that Gotham’s criminals feared came down upon him. His body crashed to the ground. A dark figure rose from where he lay.

Before Tim knew what was happening, both men were tied up. Robin stood with his hand extended toward him. Batman stood tall a little farther off in the shadows of the alley.

“Thought you could use a hand,” Robin said, and grinned.

It was at that moment that specks of snow began falling from the sky, the snowflakes landing on Robin’s red hair. Light illuminated his face, and glinted off Batman’s armor.

Tim’s hands itched to a snap a picture, but his camera lay broken somewhere else.

Robin reached down and grabbed Tim’s hand and pulled him onto his feet.

“Oh,” he said numbly. This was the closest he'd ever been to his heroes, and he couldn't even take a picture. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“Don’t go out on your own after dark,” Batman said from the shadows. Then they were gone, so suddenly that Tim wasn't entirely sure if what had happened was real.

He slowly walked out of the alley, heading back the way he had come, and to the place were his camera was lying in the muddy snow. He picked it up and examined it. There was a large crack in the lens. A few pieces of the shattered case remained on ground where he had taken it.

He sighed. How he was going to explain this to his parents he didn't know. Maybe he’d be able to get it fixed before they got back.

By now, the snow was falling steadily. He shoved the broken pieces of camera into his pocket, and hurried home.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback and comments are much appreciated.
> 
> I'm on Tumblr as rannajii


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